Quebec duo Angine de Poitrine win the Polaris Music Prize

Angine de Poitrine, a masked and elaborately costumed duo from Quebec, have won the 2026 Polaris Music Prize, Canada's top award for the best album of the year.

The anonymous pair, from Saguenay in Quebec, took the prize for their second album, Vol. II. The win brings them 30,000 Canadian dollars. They also won the Polaris Song Prize, making it a double victory on the night.

About the prize

The Polaris Music Prize is awarded each year to the best full-length Canadian album, judged on artistic merit alone, regardless of genre, sales or record label. A jury of music journalists, broadcasters and bloggers chooses a long list, then a short list, and finally a winner, decided by a grand jury on the night of the gala.

It is often compared to Britain's Mercury Prize, and over the years it has helped bring artists working outside the mainstream to a wider audience.

A band without faces

Angine de Poitrine are known for keeping their identities hidden behind masks and ornate costumes, which have become part of their appeal. Their win is a notable success for French-language music from Quebec, which has a strong and distinctive scene of its own.

The Song Prize

The Polaris Song Prize recognises a single song rather than an album. Winning both prizes in the same year underlined how strongly the jury responded to the duo's work.

Awards season

The Polaris gala came at the start of a busy autumn for music awards. In Britain, the 2026 Mercury Prize will be decided on 22 October at the Utilita Arena in Newcastle, with a shortlist that includes Paul McCartney, RAYE and Olivia Dean.